Always Been There
by MadHope
Summary: Kind of random. Naruto comes back in town and starts to realize some things about Hinata... his perverted Jiraya- sensei isn't helping... or is he? Rated T for suggestive stuff, maybe language, kissing possibly in the near future... Review and Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey there! First Naruto fanfic! NaruHina :) Tell me if I should continue, alright? Alright. My kitty is shaking :O NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Anyways,**

**Enjoy!**

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Hinata held her breath. All around her, the trees and life of the forest breathed, telling her where her allies lay, yet not revealing the place of the enemy. Quiet as the grave, the young ninja activated her Byakugan. She glance around, now able to see behind any object that lay in her way. Her eyes drifted to a human shadow behind a bush and peered closer. There! Hinata slipped a kunai out of the holder on her hip and waved to fingers in the air, motioning to her teammates.

Slight rustles were heard, and as she watched, the man hiding in the bushes tensed and stood, about to flee. Now! Hinata's muscles tightened and her body coiled, ready to spring. She was just about to launch herself when suddenly her teammate, Kiba, flew by and landed right on the man behind the bushes.

"Gotcha!" HInata let out a small, disappointed sigh as her other teammate, Shino, and her teacher, Kurenai, joined them. Kiba had his foot on a now beaten ninja, grinning proudly.

"Good job, Kiba," Kurenai told him, nodding, "All of you, good job. We'll bring him back to the Hokage. Make sure he's secure." The four, along with their captive, started walking back through the forest, towards the Hidden Leaf Village. Hinata trailed behind, staring somberly at the ground. Was she ever going to have a chance to prove herself? Even on a small mission like this, either Kiba or Shino beat her to the punch. Usually she tried to remain strong, but lately she was starting to think her father was right; maybe she wasn't cut out to be a ninja. They made it to the main gates and Kurenai told them she would personally hand their captive to the Hokage, and let them go. Kiba and Shino invited her to go eat, but she politely declined, and they left her in her own thoughts.

Hinata continued to walk around the village, not really paying attention to where she was going. She had grown since the academy; she was taller now, her blue hair went down to her waist, and she had gained rather large… _assets_. Still, despite her physical appearance, it felt as though she was still a kid inside. The young Hyuga heiress sighed and kicked the dirt dejectedly. She was still the same little girl who struggled to talk to people, who was weak in a situation where she needed to be strong, who was still in love with Naruto Uzamaki…

Yes, she was in love with him. When she was younger, Hinata had thought it was just a crush, but as they both grew, so did her feelings, and now Hinata found herself not being able to go a day without wandering how Naruto was doing, or if he was alright.

He had been on a lot of missions recently, so she didn't get to see him a lot, making her worry about him constantly. She was usually able to shake these feelings, though; she believed in Naruto's abilities and knew he could take care of himself, as well as anyone else who needed it. When people first found out that princess Hinata had fallen for the Uzamaki boy, they had been disgusted. After all, he did have the nine- tailed fox residing in him, the same fox that had practically destroyed their village and many others a while back.

Though Hinata was usually a peaceful soul, she couldn't help but feel some resentment towards the villagers. How could they insult and harm a boy with such a sweet face, with bright, innocent blue eyes that made her knees go weak? How could they think someone like him as revolting, someone who had the purest heart Hinata had ever seen in someone? She couldn't fathom how they could curse a boy who had lost everything, and hadn't had a single friend, but still never took anything for himself? Hinata shook her head.

It wasn't the villager's fault. Naruto was ok now, and the villagers were a lot more respectful now that he had proven himself. That was Naruto. He could win the heart of someone as ice- cold as Sai. Hinata sighed and finally looked up to find herself back at the old training grounds. She smiled fondly, remembering all of the memories she had from this place. Training with her team, secretly watching while Naruto tried his hardest to train despite what everyone thought of him…

Hinata sighed again. But Naruto loved Sakura. Ever since the academy Naruto had had a crush on her, and she could only assume that his affection had grown. After all, Sakura was beautiful and strong and never got in the way like Hinata did. Hinata stared at the ground sadly a moment before her eyes hardened. The only thing she could do now, until she had a chance to prove herself to Naruto, her father, Neji, and everyone else, was to train as hard as she could. She positioned herself in front of one of the familiar wooden post, cut and chipped from years of pounding and beating. Hinata closed her eyes and calmed herself, taking a deep breath before launching herself at the large piece of wood.

* * *

Naruto grinned as the Hidden Leaf's front gates came into sight. He had been gone a lot from his home lately, and he was glad to be back. The young ninja walked excitedly ahead of the rest of his team. Kakashi- sensei trailed lazily behind him, his hands in his pockets. Beside him was Sakura, and behind them was Sai.

Naruto used to have a large crush on Sakura, ever since they were in the academy, but for some reason, his affection had lessened recently. He reached the gates and greeted the guards before walking into the village. A lot of people greeted him as he walked by. Most were happy to see him, but some simply made a face and turned away. Naruto tried to ignore these certain people.

When he was younger he was always treated badly because of what he harbored inside his body, and even now, though most people respected him, some still disliked him and acted as if he was dirt.

"Hey, Naruto!" Said knuckle- headed ninja turned to see Kiba and Shino walk towards him.

"Hey guys," Naruto greeted with a grin, "How's it goin'?" Kiba grinned back while Shino remained stoic as usual.

"Nice to see you're back," Kiba said, "Too bad Hinata's not here. She went off walking somewhere. I'm sure she'd be glad to see you're back, though." Naruto frowned a bit.

"Why would she want to see me?" he asked confusedly. Kiba rubbed the back of his head while Shino shook his.

"You're kidding me, right?" Kiba chuckled, "She'll be glad you're ok. You know, she's always worrying about you." Naruto's frown deepened.

"Well I don't want her to worry," he said, "Why would she worry about me?" Kiba shook his head and Shino sweat dropped.

"Eh, never mind," Kiba said, slapping Naruto on the back, "See ya later." Kiba and Shino said their byes and left Naruto alone once again. His other teammates had left him, and Kakashi went to go talk to Tsunade. Naruto started walking down the familiar dirt road, his mind wandering.

Why would Hinata be worrying about him? Well, she was one of the nicest people he had ever met, and she seemed like the person to worry about the people she cared about. It was still strange to think that a person could care about him. After all, Naruto had been alone most of his life, and basically everyone hated him when he was younger because of the nine tailed fox. Now that he thought about it, Hinata had never been among the kids who made fun of him or despised him just because of something he couldn't control. Every once and a while he had even spotted her smiling encouragingly at him out of the corner of his eyes, though he always wiped it away as his imagination.

Naruto frowned as he thought about it even more. It seemed as if Hinata had always believed in him, even when he didn't believe in himself. When kids made fun of him, she never did, when he was worried about the Chunin exams and she cheered him up, even when he liked Sakura and knew she didn't like him back, Hinata had always been smiling at him, as if she knew he could do better than what other people thought about him. Naruto thought more about Hinata.

When they were kids she was always the small, quiet one of the group, but now that they were practically grown, she had gotten a lot more confident and… larger. She wasn't fat, of course, but she certainly had gained a nice body. Naruto felt his face heat up at these thoughts. What was he doing, thinking about Hinata that way? She would probably faint if she pictured or thought what he did right now…

Small panting sounds interrupted his reverie and Naruto looked up to find himself in the old training grounds, where he had first trained with Team 7, along with many other memories. Naruto looked around for the source of the noise and his eyes widened when he spotted a girl with long blue hair, panting in front of one of the training dummies. He kept quiet and watched in awe as the girl launched herself in a series of attacks, whipping, punching, and slicing at the wood. Naruto's eyes followed the girl's movements carefully, taking in every curve, every crevice. Her hair certainly had gotten long; it was down to her waist now, drawing his attention to her round hips and what came with them. Just then a voice came from beside him.

"Nice view, eh?" Naruto jumped and turned to see Jiraya standing there with his arms crossed, watching Hinata.

"Pervy- sensei? What are you doing here?" Jiraya turned and grinned at him.

"What do you think I'm here for?" he asked, winking, "Back up, buddy! I saw you eyein' her, don't deny it!" Naruto's face turned cherry red and he crossed his arms and looked away.

"Ah, come on," Jiraya said, throwing an arm around the younger ninja's shoulders, "It's about time you got some! And who better than the voluptuous-" Naruto's eyes hardened and he raised a fist.

"You watch your mouth, Pervy-sensei-!"

"Haha, you see?" Jiraya said, chuckling amusedly, "You're even all defensive on her! Well, I don't want to ruin your moment, but remember this!" Jiraya drew him in close, putting his mouth by Naruto's ear.

"Give 'er the tongue, they love that!" Before Naruto could ask what he meant, Jiraya released him and slapped him on the back.

"Welp, I'm afraid that's all I can give you right now! Seems the Hokage wanted me for something, so I'd best be off. Good luck!" With that Jiraya was off, Naruto scowling after him. That was the last thing he had needed; some of Jiraya's confusing and perverted advice. Naruto shook his head and turned his attention back to Hinata, who had taken a break from her training. He decided now would be the best time to reveal himself, but the moment he took a step forward, a kunai zoomed out of the trees and cut across Hinata's shoulder.

"Hinata!" Naruto shouted as Hinata gave out a small cry and fell to her knees. Naruto stood over her and pulled out a kunai, glancing around but spotting no one. After a moment, when no one came out to attack, Naruto turned back to Hinata and kneeled before her.

"Hinata," Naruto said softly, "Are you ok?" Hinata, who was clutching her shoulder, forgot about the pain in her shoulder long enough to look up at him with wide eyes.

"Naruto," she breathed in surprised, her face automatically reddening. Naruto smiled at her, his beautiful blue eyes sparkling.

"Hey," he greeted, "Are you alright?" Hinata seemed to snap out of her gaze and jumped a bit.

"O-Oh, yes, I'm f-fine, N-Naruto…" Naruto couldn't help but think it was cute the way she stuttered when she said his name. Hinata flinched, drawing Naruto's attention back to her bleeding shoulder. His eyes softened.

"Here, lemme see." Naruto gently took Hinata's hand from her shoulder and grimaced as the cut in her jacket oozed with blood.

"I don't have anything to fix it…" Naruto started, and then his face lit up. He could heal himself because of the fox's powers, right? Then why couldn't he heal someone else? Jiraya's words popped into his head and Naruto swallowed, his face heating up.

"I have an idea," he started, blushing, "Can you slip this off? Just so I can see the cut?" Hinata's face turned cherry red and she stuttered a moment before nodding. She slowly unzipped her jacket enough to slip it over her right shoulder, exposing her silky, pale skin and bleeding cut. Naruto swallowed, trying to build up his courage while he tried to focus on the wound instead of the exposed bit of skin. He drew closer, hesitantly placing one hand on the other side of her neck and the other on her exposed shoulder. Hinata's chest rose and fell rapidly, her face bright red. Naruto's warm, rough hands on her smooth skin made her skin burn and itch in a not uncomfortable way.

Naruto swallowed thickly and tried to keep the blush from rising to his cheeks. Her skin was so soft and milky under his hands, and Hinata's rapid breathing was making it hard for him to concentrate. Naruto shook his head and gathered his courage. He leaned down and hesitantly placed his tongue on the edge of the wound. Hinata gasped, and tried to keep conscious. _N-Naruto! H-He's actually-! _Naruto hesitated a moment more before dragging his tongue across the wound. Hinata's eyes shut tight and she held in a small moan as his warm tongue went across her skin.

Naruto watched as steam arose from the skin on her cut and he pulled away as the injury began to close. Hinata gasped as she felt the pain go away and watched as the cut completely closed itself, leaving just a small white scar in its place, and even that began to fade.

"N-Naruto," she breathed, turning to him in awe. He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

"All better, Hinata?" Hinata smiled.

"Yes, N-Naruto. Thank you." They stared at each other for a moment, and Hinata felt her face heating up.

"Are you sure it's ok?" Naruto asked, bringing himself closer to her. Hinata's breath hitched. He had no idea where he got his courage from, but Naruto lowered his head and placed his lips on her still exposed shoulder, over where the cut used to be. Hinata gasped when his rough lips met her skin. Naruto brushed his lips against her shoulder before gently biting down. Another gasp accompanied with a small moan escaped Hinata's lips, causing her face to redden even more. Naruto raised his lips to kiss her neck, and then raised himself to be eye to eye with her. Her eyes widened and Naruto leaned in. Just when he hesitated an inch from her lips, Hinata's eyes closed and her body fell back.

"Whoa, Hinata!" Naruto exclaimed, panicking, "Are you ok?"

* * *

Tsunade shook her head.

"Was hurting Hinata really necessary?" Jiraya shrugged, grinning.

"It was nothing fatal, and I knew Naruto could handle it," he said, "Using his tongue like that wasn't exactly what I meant, but good enough." Kakashi shook his head.

"It surprises me how thick Naruto could be despite what an excellent ninja he is." Kiba nodded and Sakura scoffed.

"No kidding," she said, "It's about time he got it through is fat skull that Hinata's always been there for him." Kiba and Shino nodded in agreement. Kurenai scratched her head.

"But what's going to happen now?" she asked, "It's no shock that Hinata fainted, but what's Naruto going to do?" Jiraya shrugged.

"I don't know, but I can't wait to find out," he said with a large, perverted grin. Tsunade growled and hit him on the side of the head.

"You pervert! Naruto doesn't have the same mind as you!"

"He doesn't?" Sai asked curiously. Kiba crossed his arms and shook his head.

"Even if he did, he wouldn't be the kind to act on it, especially on someone like Hinata." The others nodded in agreement and Jiraya chuckled while scribbling in a notebook.

"Either way, this gives me a great idea for my next book!"

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**There you go :) Hope you liked it! Tell me if I should write more and stuff. Should I continue? Should I add more people? Blah blah blah... Well, alrighty thens :) BYE BYES!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Back! I decided to write more! Mwuahahahahahaha! So, give me ideas! You want other couples? Let me know! Alright? Alright. I like kangaroos.**

**Enjoy!**

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Naruto glanced around worriedly. He still sat next to Hinata's unconscious body, having no idea what to do. The ninja ran a hand through his already messy blond hair and sighed. What was he going to do? He couldn't just leave Hinata here, but if he took her back home, Neji or Hiashi would definitely kill him upon seeing him with Hinata unconscious in his arms. Naruto observed Hinata carefully. She really had become beautiful. Her face was pale and peaceful, her blue hair spread around her like a halo, her breathing steady and calm…

Naruto shook his head. Where had all of these thoughts come from? And what came over him earlier that made her faint in the first place? Naruto couldn't explain it. He had never lost his sense like that around anyone, not even Sakura. Naruto looked back at Hinata and noticed her shirt was still slipped down over her shoulder. He swallowed and leaned over her. The feel of her skin still lingered on his hands and lips. It would be so easy to just lean in, press his lips on her neck, her lips… Naruto shook his head again. Was he going insane? He could never do something like that to Hinata! She probably didn't want him near her now. Naruto sighed and felt his heart sink with sadness at the thought. Finally he shook his head one more time to clear his head. Either way, he had to get her off of the ground and to somewhere safe.

Carefully, he leaned over her and picked her up. She was surprisingly light, and Naruto smiled a bit when her small hands automatically clung to the front of his shirt. He walked down the street with Hinata in his arms, ignoring the strange looks he got from people.

"Eh, hey Naruto." Naruto turned to see Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji. He grinned.

"Hey guys!" Ino raised an eyebrow at him while Choji frowned and Shikamaru regarded him uncaringly.

"Um, what're you doing?" Ino asked. Naruto looked down at Hinata in surprise, as if forgetting she was there, and turned back to the others.

"Oh, Hinata kind of fainted, and I don't really know what to do," he said, smiling sheepishly. Choji and Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, glancing at each other while Ino shook her head.

"Just take her home," she said. Naruto shrugged.

"Well, I was going to, but Neji and her dad would kill me if I showed up with her like this," he said. Ino nodded, contemplating.

"True," she said before smiling, "Just take her to your place until she wakes up." Naruto shifted uncomfortably, his cheeks warming.

"Don't worry about it," Ino said with a smirk, winking, "I'm sure you two will be fine… all alone… in your apartment… Well bye!" The three of them said their goodbyes and left.

Naruto sighed and would have run a hand through his hair if he wasn't still holding Hinata. While Ino was probably just making fun of him, it seemed taking Hinata to his apartment was the only option. He sighed again and continued walking, again ignoring the suspicious looks he got from people. He heard a few of them murmur rude, implying things to each other that made his face redden and his arms tighten around Hinata subconsciously. How could anyone think he could take advantage of anyone, especially Hinata?

Did they really think that badly of him? Only someone disgusting with no heart would take advantage of Hinata.

"Hmph, I'm not surprised," he heard one of the women mutter to her friend, "That girl follows him around like a lost puppy. I bet she easily gave up to him. Disgusting… Just like one of his kind… And that girl, the little slu-" Naruto growled under his breath and halted. He turned towards the woman, a deadly glare in his eyes. He could feel everyone watching him, but he didn't notice. Naruto walked towards the woman and halted a few feet away.

"Excuse me?" he growled, "What was that?" The woman blinked at him.

"What were you about to call Hinata?" he hissed. The woman observed him with scrutinizing eyes.

"Like it matters to you, monster," she snapped, "A human girl wouldn't matter at all to a monster like you. Besides, she's practically your slave, right? She's almost as worthless as you are." Naruto couldn't describe the rage he felt then. Naruto took another step closer, and onlookers gasped as his eyes turned from their usual pretty blue to deep, angry red.

"Don't you ever," he growled, "_Ever_ say anything like that about Hinata. You got that? You don't even know her, because if you did, you would never say anything like that about her. What right do you have to say anything about Hinata?" The woman took a step back when his voice rose, and everyone watched the scene in fearful silence. Just then a small noise came from Naruto's arms. His red eyes widened and he looked down at Hinata in his arms. She was was still unconscious, but her face was pink and her brow furrowed.

"N-Naruto," she whispered, and a single tear slid down her cheek. Naruto's eyes automatically softened, and everyone watched in amazement as the red in his eyes dispersed, replaced once again by the deep, brilliant blue.

"Hinata," he muttered back. Hinata's hands tightened on his shirt and she buried her face in his chest. Naruto pulled her closer and turned, not even glancing at the woman or any of the onlookers as he continued walking down the village's road. No one could really explain what had happened, but to put it like this; that woman didn't have a lot of friends left after that.

Naruto arrived at his apartment without any other interruption and, after struggling a bit, managed to unlock the door and step inside. He kicked the door shut behind him and hesitated a moment before carrying Hinata into his room and setting her carefully on the bed. Naruto watched her for a moment. She remained asleep, her face slightly more peaceful now. Naruto brushed some of her hair out of her face and his thumb ran down the line her tear had fallen. What had she been crying about? Why had she said his name?

He couldn't think of a reason, so he pushed the thought away and exited the room, walking into his kitchen. His apartment was empty as usual, and slightly dark despite a few windows hanging randomly on the walls. Naruto opened a cabinet and pulled out some ramen. Might as well have something to eat, and make some for Hinata when she woke up.

As he fixed his ramen, Naruto thought back to what the woman had said. _Monster. _He had heard it before, and it shouldn't have hurt him, but it did. Maybe because he knew it was true. Naruto sighed. Why had the woman called Hinata his slave? Just the thought made his hands clench into fists. Hinata didn't belong to anyone, especially not him. Hinata was possibly the nicest, purest person Naruto had ever met. What right did the woman have to call her- call her _worthless_ when she didn't even know her? No one who knew Hinata would call her that. Except for maybe her dad, but that was a different story all in itself. Why would Hinata want him around when he was just a monster? Naruto shook his head. Hinata was nice, but even someone as sweet as her had to think he was disgusting. After all, that's what he thought of himself.

Hinata woke up in an unfamiliar bed. She remembered faintly a dream where a woman was insulting Naruto, calling him a monster. How could anyone think that of someone like him? Hinata rubbed her head and sat up, gazing around. Her heart skipped a beat when she noticed she wasn't in her room, or on her own bed. Where was she? She heard clanking coming from another room, presumably the kitchen, and her heart jumped again. Before she had any time to panic more, the door opened slightly and Naruto appeared, holding a bowl of something in his hand.

"Hinata," he said in surprise, then grinned, "Hey, you alright?" Hinata blinked as Naruto approached her, setting the bowl of what she saw now was ramen on the table beside the bed. Naruto sat before her on the bed, putting a respectable distance between them.

"N-Naruto," Hinata stuttered, "Where are w-we?"

"Oh, we're at my place," he said, rubbing the back of his head and grinning sheepishly, "I was going to take you home, but I figured Hiashi or Neji would kill me if I showed up with you unconscious, so I brought you here. I hope you're not mad…" Hinata immediately shook her head and gave a small smile.

"N-No, it's fine, N-Naruto," she said reassuringly, "Thank you." Naruto smiled back at her before the smile dropped and he looked away.

"N-Naruto?" she said quietly, sensing something was wrong. Naruto looked back at her and ran a hand through his hair.

"Well, Hinata, I was just wondering… What were you dreaming about?" he asked suddenly, "You started crying and I was worried…" Hinata's eyes widened and her face flushed. She had cried in her sleep? More importantly, he had been worried about her? Hinata twiddled her thumbs and looked away.

"W-Well, I…" she muttered.

"It was just… You said my name, and I was worried I did something to make you cry," Naruto said, true worry and sadness leaking into his voice. Hinata jumped forward.

"Oh no, Naruto," she protested immediately, "Y-You didn't do anything, I promise! I-I just had a dream that this woman w-was saying terrible things to y-you, and…" Naruto looked away and Hinata's breath caught as she looked at him sadly.

"I-It wasn't a dream, was it, N-Naruto?" Naruto wouldn't look at her, and his silence served as her answer. Hinata felt tears prick her eyes. Suddenly Naruto felt small arms wrap around his shoulders and his eyes widened. Hinata was _hugging _him. Naruto slowly wrapped his arms around her waist and felt hot tears drip onto his shoulder.

"I-It's not true, N-Naruto," she whispered sadly, "Nothing s-she said, nothing any of them said is true." Naruto's arms tightened around her waist, but he still couldn't make himself speak. Hinata was _hugging_ him. Hinata was _comforting_ him. She actually _believed _in him. After a moment Hinata pulled away and blushed deep red.

"I-I'm sorry, N-Naruto," she said, avoiding looking at him, "I-I just hate to see you s-sad… You're an amazing person, N-Naruto… I know other p-people see that like I do." Naruto smiled warmly at the girl, his eyes shining.

"Thanks, Hinata," he told her genuinely. Hinata looked up at him and gave a small smile. Naruto's mind was drawn back to what he was about to do when she had fainted and hesitated. He really wanted to, but what would she do? Would she hate him and leave? Naruto swallowed. Hinata was one of his only genuine friends, and he didn't want to mess that up, but he wasn't sure he could stop himself every time she was close like this.

Meanwhile, Hinata's heart was going into overdrive. She was almost sure about what Naruto had been about to do when she passed out, but the question she couldn't answer was why? He wanted Sakura, didn't he? There was no way Hinata could match up to her…

Naruto swallowed his nerves and lifted a hand to the side of Hinata's neck. She gasped a bit as his hand met her skin once again. He drew closer to her, placing his other hand on the bed by her hip to steady himself.

Naruto took in a shaky breath. He was a lot more aware of what he was doing than before, and a lot more timid. So far Hinata hadn't pulled away in disgust, and he didn't know if it was because she was being nice or because she didn't want to. His head was starting to fog up with her this close, and he couldn't help but noticed again how smooth and silky her skin was under his fingers. Slowly he leaned in closer, to where he could feel her small breaths on his lips. His eyes started to drift close as he drew closer, and Hinata's breath caught in her throat. As he came closer, her eyelids also drooped. She could feel his breath fan the bottom half of her face when suddenly a loud knock came from the front door. They both froze and their eyes shot open. Naruto let go of her and jumped up from the bed. They were both silent, catching their breath until another knock came from the door.

Naruto glanced at Hinata, blushed, and excused himself hurriedly before walking out. Hinata sat still, her eyes wide. She could still feel the tingle on her skin where his hand had been, and she was still trying to catch her breath. She heard the door open and people talking, but couldn't tell what they were saying. Hinata stood and exited the bedroom, walking into the living room to see Naruto at the door talking to Neji. Neji was the first to notice her presence.

"Hinata," he said, "I've been looking for you." Naruto turned to her and grinned. Hinata blushed as she walked closer to them.

"Did you need me, brother?" she asked. Neji nodded.

"Your father has been looking for you," he told her, "He said he needs to talk to you." Hinata nodded and turned to Naruto, her face automatically heating up.

"Th-Thank you for helping me, N-Naruto," she told him. Naruto smiled at her.

"No problem, Hina," he said, "Thanks for… everything." Hinata's face flushed and a large smile spread on her face. _He called me Hina! _They said their goodbyes and Hinata left with Neji, a smile on her face.

* * *

Sakura growled.

"You idiot, Neji!" Neji raised an eyebrow.

"What did I do?" Ino rolled her eyes.

"He was about to kiss her, you dolt!"

"Yeah, and you know Naruto is the last person who would do anything to hurt Hinata," Kiba reminded him. Neji sighed.

"I guess." Tsunade shook her head.

"Why am I here again?"

"Because you love me," Jiraya said with a grin, earning him a punch in the face.

"Because you're avoiding your duties as Hokage," Sai said. Tsunade glared at him and crossed her arms.

"Whatever. Those two better hurry up, before I actually start _wanting _to do paper work!"

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**There we are! Like it? Review! Do you want other characters? Do you want any special cute little things to happen? Whatevs, just let me know! SEE YA!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Back yet again... This one is a lot shorter... I just wanted to get it over with cuz I have other ideas of what to write next :D yeah... anyways, review and shtuff!**

**Enjoy!**

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_

_She had her arms around his neck, her fingers playing with his hair while he trailed light kisses down her neck and along her shoulders. Her face was red, but she smiled._

_"I love you," she told him. He brought his face up to look at her and smiled back._

_"I love you, too." A blush spread on her face as she leaned in to kiss him. She was a centimeter away—_

_RING! RING! RING!_

Naruto shot up in his bed. His alarm clock continued ringing until he hit it. The teen ran a hand through his hair. What was that dream? He had had a few like them, but never as realistic, and usually they were with Sakura. But this time… He heard a knock on his front door just then. Naruto shook his head and slipped out of bed, stepping quickly into some casual clothes before walking through the living room and opening the door. Standing there was Shikamaru. Naruto's eyebrows went up in surprise.

"Er, hey Shikamaru," he greeted. Shikamaru nodded.

"Hey Naruto," he replied lazily, "Kakashi's looking for you. I was going to meet Temari at the front gate today, so hurry up."

"Alright," Naruto said with a grin, stepping out and closing the door behind him. They started out of his apartment and down the street, where some villagers were already walking about their business.

"So, what's going on with you and Temari?" Naruto asked randomly, "Are you guys, like, together?" Shikamaru looked away, but not before Naruto spotted a rosy hue rise on his cheeks.

"No, she just wanted me to give her a tour since she hasn't been here in a while," he muttered, and then turned back to Naruto and raised an eyebrow, "Besides, what about you and Hinata?" Naruto's face heated up and he looked away.

"What about me and Hinata?" Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"You're kidding me, right?" Naruto simply frowned and shrugged. Shikamaru sighed and shook his head.

"You're idiocy is troublesome," he told him.

"Hey!" Naruto protested.

They walked most of the rest of the way in silence, and Shikamaru said bye before leaving Naruto at the bridge near the training grounds. Naruto leaned his elbows on the railing of the bridge and sighed. Shikamaru's words came into his mind and he frowned. _Was _there something going on between him and Hinata? He _had _tried to kiss her twice now, and she hadn't seemed like she was planning on pushing him away, but still… A sweet, innocent girl like Hinata couldn't possibly feel anything more than pity for him. Naruto ran a hand through his hair, feeling worse than before. He didn't know why the thought of Hinata hating him, or even disliking him, hurt him so much. Shouldn't he be used to it? Just then a _thud _sounded to his left and he turned to see Kakashi standing with his hands in his pockets.

"Naruto," he greeted, his mask rising in a smile, "Nice to see you here so early." Naruto scoffed.

"I'm not early, you're just late from reading those pervy books—" Kakashi coughed and waved a hand airily.

"Anyway, the Hokage needs us to go on a mission immediately," he said, "Sakura and Sai should be waiting at the front gate."

"When will we be back?" Naruto asked, for some reason thinking of Hinata. Kakashi shrugged.

"We should be back late tomorrow or the next morning. Now come on, you know how Sakura gets when she has to wait."

There was no arguing against that.

* * *

**Yeah... super- duper-duper short... It might be a while until I upload the next one cuz I actually have stuff to do, believe it or not :P Anyways, review and stuff! Tell me who you want, what you want to happen, whatevs. Ok? Ok. BYES!**


	4. Chapter 4

**HIIIIIIIIIIIIII! :DDDDDDDDDDDDD Alrighty then, the last one was super- duperty-duper short, and this one is pretty short, too, but I think you'll like it :) Well, I hope, anyways... WELP, tell me what you think and stuff!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Hinata sighed. It had been two days since Team 7 had left. She tried not to, but her mind kept going back to the moment at Naruto's apartment before Neji interrupted. What was going on? Naruto had been acting weird lately… Hinata looked up from her reverie and noticed she was by the front gate. She spotted Kakashi and her heart jumped.

"Kakashi- sensei!" she greeted, "You're back!" Kakashi's mask shifted up into what she assumed to be a smile.

"Hello there, Hinata," he said, "I'm afraid I don't know where Naruto is. He's been a little… down." Hinata blushed a bit when he automatically assumed she was looking for Naruto, but then frowned.

"What do you mean?" she asked, "Is he alright?" Kakashi sighed.

"He lost control again," he said, "So I'd guess he's moping around here somewhere." Kakashi said goodbye and left, leaving Hinata to worry. She had heard that it was getting harder for Naruto to control the kyubi, and she had even seen it once. Hinata knew it had to be hard for him, since it seemed, when that happened, that all of the villager's rumors came true. She continued walking, worry set in her heart. Was he ok? Naruto always acted cheerful, but he still felt some sadness, she could see it. After a while she looked up again and stopped. She was in a field near the bridge, and she spotted someone with blond hair just standing alone, facing the ground.

Hinata hesitated a moment before walking slowly forward. She stopped a few feet from him. Naruto continued to stare at the ground, though she was sure he knew she was there. There were a few moments of silence before he spoke quietly.

"Hey Hinata." Hinata's eyes softened.

"Hi N-Naruto," she greeted, then more softly, "Are you ok?" Naruto hesitated before nodding.

"Yeah. I'm just tired." Hinata nodded. There was another moment of silence before Naruto fell to his knees. Hinata jumped and kneeled before him.

"N-Naruto…" When he didn't answer, Hinata swallowed her fears and lightly touched his shoulders.

"H-Here, Naruto… Lay down…" After a moment Naruto lay down and rested his head in her lap. Hinata blushed but couldn't keep a small smile from her face when he closed his eyes and his body relaxed.

"Thank you, Hinata," he whispered. Hinata smiled.

"O-Of course, N-Naruto." Naruto was silent for a moment.

"Do you think I'm a monster, Hinata?" The words were so quiet Hinata almost didn't catch them. When she did, she almost felt like crying.

"Of course not, N-Naruto…" she told him softly, lightly running her fingers through his hair. It was silent again, and a light breeze ruffled the grass and their hair. Hinata's fingertips lightly ran through his bright yellow locks, along his scalp. Naruto sighed contentedly, and Hinata paused a moment, hesitating. Would he get mad? Finally she gathered her courage and her fingers stared drawing small circles along his scalp. Naruto's lips parted and a noise from the back of his throat issued from his lips. Hinata smiled a bit and continued the circles, slightly using the tips of her nails. The noise came again and Naruto slightly tilted his head back, towards her hands.

Hinata giggled and Naruto's eyes snapped open, just realizing what he was doing. At first Hinata was worried he was mad, but then he moved his head to the side, a blush painting his cheeks.

"Sorry," he murmured. A small smile spread on Hinata's face once again.

"T-There's nothing to be sorry for, N-Naruto." Naruto looked up at her, his eyes shining gratefully. Hinata smiled back at her and her fingers resumed their journey through his hair and along his scalp. Naruto's eyes closed once again and he relaxed. She could tell he was more careful about how he reacted, but every once in a while he couldn't help but let a few small noises slip from his lips. After a while he was completely silent and his breathing deepened. It took a second for Hinata to realize that he had fallen asleep. She glanced around. What was she supposed to do now? She couldn't just leave him. Hinata sighed and continued to mess with his hair, reveling in his soft locks and his calm, peaceful breathing.

Naruto looked completely peaceful when he was asleep. Not plagued by the kyubi inside him, or by the comments of the villagers, nothing. Hinata's fingertips brushed lightly over his cheek, across the whisker- like scars on his skin. A lot of people thought they were a disgrace, but for some reason Hinata had always liked them; they seemed to belong there, though she thought Naruto might disagree. Hinata sighed. _Naruto. If only you were this peacefull when you were awake…_

_

* * *

_

"Awww," Sakura and Ino said together, their eyes practically turning into hearts. Temari rolled her eyes, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Geez, hopeless romantics," she muttered. Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head.

"Troublesome women…" Temari looked at him and smirked.

"Don't tell me you're not a hopeless romantic on the inside, lazy ass," she teased. Shikamaru scoffed, the smirk on his lips matching hers.

"Says you." Temari rolled her eyes, and Tsunade sighed, rubbing her temples.

"I'm getting too old for this," she muttered. Jiraya opened his mouth to comment, but a fist in his face interrupted anything he was about to say. Kakashi shook his head.

"We're so messed up." Kiba, Sai, and Kankuro all nodded in agreement. Yep, they were all messed up. Hopefully this would hurry along so they wouldn't all go insane.

* * *

**Haha! Yeah... Not much happened, but I felt a burning need to put that in there :D ... I'm having trouble... Should I put a lot of the other couples in here, Hinata's dad, more plot... Idk. I make it up as I go along, so just tell me what you want and I'll try to incorporate (spelled that wrong) it in there. REVIEW AND SHTUFF! BYES!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Back again! ... been a while, huh? hehe ^^" sorry about that... I'm sorry! sorry sorry sorry, I got... distracted :) If you noticed many of my other unfinished stories on here... haha ^^ buttttt, I got this done and uploaded, so yay! Hopefully you like it :) Anyways, umm... Sorry! and,**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Hinata sighed sadly. She was sitting under a tree in the forest of Konoha, staring down into her lap as her thoughts ran back over the 'conversation' she'd had with her father earlier that day.

_"You're worthless!" Hiashi growled at his oldest daughter, who was straining to pull herself off the ground. They had been sparring, and Hiashi had gone all out, never giving Hinata a chance._

_ "Hanabi could pass your rank easily even at her age!" he went on, "You're a disgrace to the royal family. I knew I should never have allowed you to become a ninja."_

_ "F-Father—" Hinata had now straightened into standing, and she tried unsuccessfully to interrupt her father, every word from him stinging her heart like a thousand needles._

_ "No, that's enough," Hiashi snapped, turning his back to her, "Leave, now."_

Hinata felt tears come to her eyes again and tried to push them back. Why? Why did she have to be so weak? Maybe if her father, actually believe in her… Hinata shook her head; she couldn't blame others for her not being good enough. She needed to train even more now…

Hinata wiped away her tears, but couldn't force herself to stand. Her body ached; ever since that morning, her father's words, she'd gone to the training grounds and practiced. Then she'd come here for more privacy, and finally she couldn't train anymore. Hinata sniffled a bit. At least no one could see her like this… No one could see how weak she was right now…

"Hinata?"

* * *

Naruto wandered around the town aimlessly, his thoughts drifting. Mostly they ended up at Hinata, whom he couldn't keep out of his mind lately. It baffled him how one person could e so amazing. After comforting him and letting him sleep in her lap, Hinata had offered to walk him home. He'd declined, since he felt he'd taken enough from her, and Hinata had simply smiled and left.

Naruto shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. She was so amazing… how had he not noticed her before? It was as if now he was seeing an entire new side of her that his younger self had been too oblivious to recognize.

Just then he heard a sniffle and looked up to realize he'd wandered into the woods without even noticing it. Following the sounds of sniffling and shuffling, Naruto finally reached the source and stopped in his tracks.

"Hinata?" The poor girl jumped and looked up at him with wide eyes. He was shocked to see that they were bloodshot, and she had dark circles under them. She ducked her head and started wiping her face with her hands.

"Oh N-Naurot, I-I um, I was just…" Naruto's eyes softened as the girl stuttered and kneeled before her, taking her wrists in his hands to stop her frantic attempt at covering up her tears. Hinata looked at him in surprise.

"Are you ok?" he asked softly. Hinata blushed and ducked her head.

"I-I'm fine, N-Naruto…" Naruto slipped a hand under her chin and raised her face so that she had no choice but to look him in the eyes. He observed thos milky, gray-ish orbs, and saw the sadness embedded in them, making his heart wrench. Hinata's eyes started to fill with tears as she gazed into his understanding, deep blue ones, and shook her head.

"I-I… my dad… I-I'm…. worthless…." Hinata choked out, and Naruto let her fall into his chest, wrapping his arms around her. He stroked her hair calmly, whispering kind words to her. She cried into his shoulder for who knows how long, but Naruto wasn't bothered. Instead his mind was racing. From what she had said, Naruto guessed that her dad had somehow convinced her that she was worthless.

He felt anger start to build in his chest. How could someone, let alone her own father, tell Hinata she was anything like that? Naruto could spend hourse listing the good qualities she had. Why couldn't her father see them?

Eventually Hinata's sobs quieted and she pulled away a bit, though Naruto didn't release her. Hinata's face turned cherry red and she avoided looking him in the eye, making Naruto smile.

"You alright, Hinata?" She jumped a bit at his voice and her name, and finally she looked up at him. Her face burned, but she gave him a small, grateful smile.

"Y-Yes… I-I'm fine… Thank you, N-Naruto…" Naruto nodded.

"But why are you crying? What happened?" Hinata's eyes grew somber again and she looked down at her lap.

"I-I was just thinking… I-I'm kind of useless…" she mumbled, "I'm n-not a very good ninja, and… I-I'm too nervous… I just get in t-the way of great ninjas like y-you…" Naruto's eyes widened for a moment before hardening.

"That's just stupid!" Hinata jumped and looked up at him with huge eyes.

"You're an amazing ninja, and an amazing person, Hinata," Naruto stated, looking straight into her eyes, "and if someone can't see that, they're blind! You could never get in the way, Hinata. You're too nice and kind to make anyone think of you as a burden or anything like that. Whoever thinks that is an idiot." Hinata stared at him with wide eyes as Naruto tried to breathe again after his speech. Suddenly she threw herself into his arms, wrapping hers around his neck.

"T-Thank you, N-Naruto," she whispered into his shoulder. Naruto was frozen from shock for a moment before smiling and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"No problem, Hinata." Just then Kakashi appeared in front of him, seemingly out of thin air, and Naruto jumped, making Hinata turn and let out a squeak of surprise. Kakashi grinned under his mask.

"Oops, hope I wasn't interrupting anything!" he told them, chuckling a bit. Naruto and Hinata both blushed.

"But the Hokage wants to talk with both of you," he went on, "So you'd better get over there." Naruto and Hinata both nodded their understanding and stood, taking off towards the village. Kakashi shook his head.

"Ah, to be a kid again…" He wandered away, pulling out his book and flipping to the book marked page.

* * *

The two made it to Tsunade's office to find Kiba, Shino, and Sai also there. Tsunade sat at her desk, her fingers laced together in front of her and an amused smirk on her face.

"Nice for you to join us," she snapped lightly.

"Hey there, granny Tsunade!" This earned Naruto a glare from the older woman.

"Shut up, Naruto," she growled, and then went on in a lighter tone, "You all will be going on a mission tomorrow early in the morning. Your duty is to escort a family from here back to their homeland. Kakashi will give you more details about it later." Naruto glanced around and frowned.

"But hey, where's Sakura?" Hinata's gaze dropped to the floor, which was missed only by Naruto.

"Oh yes, Sakura is helping me out at the clinic," Tsunade told him, "Besides, this family is very superstitious, and asked specifically for a group of five or a multiple of five people. Crazy, I know, but if you insult them I'll chan you to a rabid dog. Now all of you get out and go get ready for your mission."

* * *

They all left the Hokage building and Naruto grinned at Hinata.

"Isn't this great, Hinata?" he announced loudly, "We're going on a mission together!" Hinata blushed and smiled a little.

"Yes, N-Naruto." She listened as he continued to babble on, with a small smile on her face. _Naruto, you truly are a unique person…_

* * *

"That was a great idea!" Sakura announced, "Lucky the family's crazy, 'cuz I really didn't want to go!" Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"Are you saying you don't like our missions?" Sakura giggled nervously and rubbed the back of her head.

"Of course not, sensei…" Kiba sighed.

"I just don't see why I have to go…"

"Why are you complaining?" Shino asked. Kiba rolled his eyes.

"'Cuz that idiot Naruto is gonna take forever to get around to noticing Hinata!" Shino shook his head.

"I wouldn't be so sure…" Tsunade rubbed her temples.

"Whatever, all of you, just SHUT UP!"

* * *

**There we are! Hope you liked it :) It was kind of... well... idk... sooooo... anyways :) Sorry again and I hope you're not mad at me! :D Anyways, review and stuff, byes!**


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